This might be old news but I was not aware. As of Jan 1 the "Tip" charge per day on NCL increased from $10 to $12. There was a large group booking on the Dawn complaining because when they booked the rate was $10 but they still had to pay the new rate.

If my wife and I were to eat 3 meals a day of the quality of food and service we receive on a typical cruise (eating in the dining room of course), and do it in our own town, I figure we would conseratively pay:

Breakfast: Coffee/Tea, Juice, pastry, eggs & ham or omlette, toast, for two would be at least $25

Lunch: Coffee/Tea, soup, entree, dessert, for two would be at least $30

Dinner: Appetizer, soup, main course, salad, rolls, dessert, coffee/tea for two would be at least $100

Now where we live, those would be absolute minimum prices in a typcial nice restaurant with real tablecloths and two-person service team at a table.

So, we have a minimum cost per day of $155. I typically tip 20-25% pre-tax for good service, but let's say you only tip the standard 15%, that would still be $23.25 for the two of us. That doesn't even cover the room stewards and all the other assorted players.

I totally get it. It's not enough to ruin anyone's cruise, that is not the point and the OP didn't say it ruined their cruise, he simply stated they complained about it. Your comparison and analysis does not address the actual core issue either. It is a matter of disclosure, giving people an opportunity to make an informed decision prior to making final payment, and allowing them to decide if that is how they choose to spend their money. It is common courtesy and respect to let your customer's know in advance that your pricing policies have changed. Not spring it on them as an unexpected surprise.
The proper way to handle it would have been to notify passengers prior to final payment and waive the additional charge for those who had already made final payment prior to the announcement of the fee increase.

Maybe if I were to explain it to you like this:
I walk into a store, I select a computer that is marked on sale for $1000, by the time I reach the cash register the price changes to $1,200. Perhaps some would say the Computer is actually worth $1,500, but do you think anyone in their right mind is going to pay the new "bargain" price of $1,200? Probably not. They are going to expect the store to honor the posted price.
It is about respecting and valuing your clientele enough to offer truthful pricing policies and allowing them to make informed decisions on how they want to spend their money and not to be so presumptuous to help themselves to your pocketbook.

For clarification I was not part of this group booking. I only overheard them complaining and the response that NCL gave them.

It would take much more than $2 to ruin my cruise. 8)

I am very glad to hear that!

In the last 15 years or so, I have noticed that the amount of complaining has risen dramatically over the past few years and in so many cases the complaints are about the silliest things.

I really feel sorry for those that would let something so trivial, when placed in the context of what is supposed to be a great vacation, upset them to the point of having to actually lobby a complaint.

I suppose if I felt that upset about it, I would simply not sail on that line again. Life is way too short.

Kenneth see that's the thing, no one said anything about this ruining their cruise. I think it is bothersome to label or categorize someone else's issue as silly as well. To me this is no different than if the cruise line sent someone to your cabin while you were out and told them to take money out of your wallet and your wife's purse without your permission. The amount of money is not the issue.
Typically when we have a Meet & Greet for our groups on NCL, the officers of the ship often join us. They make it a point to introduce themselves, hand out their cards and every single time tell us, if there is a problem, we want to know about it. We don't want you to leave angry, we want to work with you to resolve these issues and if you don't tell us what is wrong we can't fix it.
So a reasonable person might assume that it makes more sense to bring problems to the cruiseline's attention. Give them an opportunity to provide a remedy and improve everyone's cruise experience, rather than just go away mad and cruise another line.

It is a matter of disclosure, giving people an opportunity to make an informed decision prior to making final payment, and allowing them to decide if that is how they choose to spend their money. It is common courtesy and respect to let your customer's know in advance that your pricing policies have changed. Not spring it on them as an unexpected surprise.
The proper way to handle it would have been to notify passengers prior to final payment and waive the additional charge for those who had already made final payment prior to the announcement of the fee increase.

.

Makes alot of sense and that is what NCL did. The increase was annnouced well in advance of anyones final payment due. Everyone had the choice to cancel if the $2 increase was an issue. Perhaps the TA that booked the group failed to pass the information along thus the unexpected surprise.

I would be very surprised to find that NCL has made much effort to inform clients of this change, aside from burying it in their FAQ's (which a repeat cruiser would probably not go through again, unless looking for something specific). The only way I heard anything about this change is from reading the message boards. From the numerous reactions I have seen posted online about this, it seems it caught many people by surprise. I don't mind the changes and paying $2 more per adult per day, I just would like to know at the time of booking or at least prior to final payment. They obviously did a very poor job communicating this change if they communicated it at all, aside from a press release.

I understand both sides of this: whether informed or not, I cetainly would not let this bother me.

I do think it is up to a travel agent to let the passengers know, we all knew this months ago and it is on the webstie.

I don't think if you make reservations at your favorite restaurant on Monday and the prices go up on Thurs or the auto gratuities for parties of 6 or more go into affect the on Friday the restaurant is going to forwarn you. In fact I know they will not.

That being said, I do agree there should be better communications. No noe should get on the ship and learn of the increase at that time.

One thing though this information has been out there since Sept and I would not expect a reservation agent to say: "on by the way, before you make final payment our auto gratuitiy charges are going up to XXX number of $$s." I don't know how this should have been handled.

If I was not informed of something, and I didnt aprove it, I would have simply gone to the front desk and reduced it. End of story. I am not going to discuss whether it is OK or not to do so, I am saying if your not happy, you can in fact change the amount of the "tip", it's not like you have a gun to your head saying this is what you must pay. I am also with BW, I learned on the increase on this web site!

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"If your number one goal is to make sure that everyone likes and approves of you, then you risk sacrificing your uniqueness and, therefore, your excellence."

I booked an upcoming 12 day cruise for two adults three children. The kids price went from $5 - $10 a day and adults 10 - 12. That is an additional $228. tipping fee. No big deal? I booked this trip 8 mos before the increase and as mentioned it was buried in the fine print for the most recent trip I booked. I will be refusing to pay the increase. As someone who is in the service industry I am a generous tipper to those who service me. A deal is a deal and the increase should not be forced upon someone who signed an agreement for a particular price. Oil prices affecting the fuel service charge is different than a tipping fee and that I can understand.

I booked an upcoming 12 day cruise for two adults three children. The kids price went from $5 - $10 a day and adults 10 - 12. That is an additional $228. tipping fee. No big deal? I booked this trip 8 mos before the increase and as mentioned it was buried in the fine print for the most recent trip I booked. I will be refusing to pay the increase. As someone who is in the service industry I am a generous tipper to those who service me. A deal is a deal and the increase should not be forced upon someone who signed an agreement for a particular price. Oil prices affecting the fuel service charge is different than a tipping fee and that I can understand.

so let me understand this, because you booked the cruise prior to the increase you are going to make the crew suffer because you do not like the increase? In other words if every cruise line raised their tips (which most have I will add) and you booked 18 months in advance you still feel you shouldn't have to tip what others are tipping? You call yourself a gererous tipper and you say you signed an agreement? I have never seen anyone sign anything about price or gratuities. What did you sign??

Let's put it another way, what if the price of the cruise went down, would you expect NCL to give you the lower price?
Nita

Obviously nmnita you don't understand both sides... as i said i am in the service industry and tip generously (above and beyond what the cruise line charges for a tipping fee) to those that service me directly. How am i making anyone suffer???What a toxic response - i signed up for a cruise that will cost me X amount of dollars to find out it will cost me X amount more. I work two jobs, seven shifts, six days a week, week in and week out so how i spend my money for myself and my three grandchildren i am raising is at my discretion. thanks for the feedback - ouch!

Obviously nmnita you don't understand both sides... as i said i am in the service industry and tip generously (above and beyond what the cruise line charges for a tipping fee) to those that service me directly. How am i making anyone suffer???What a toxic response - i signed up for a cruise that will cost me X amount of dollars to find out it will cost me X amount more. I work two jobs, seven shifts, six days a week, week in and week out so how i spend my money for myself and my three grandchildren i am raising is at my discretion. thanks for the feedback - ouch!

I do understand, I know it was a surprise to many but when price adjustments are made they are effective on a certain date. I don't know when you are cruising or if you had the option to cancel, but you still did not sign anything that guaranteed all fees would stay the same. Port fees in some cases just went up, cruisers on another line had to pay the difference, this happens. When I say I understand, I do, I understand being unhappy, I would be as well, but no, I would not refuse to pay the difference. You mention working 2 jobs to raise you grandkids, you are to be admired for that, but this should have nothing to do with tipping the wait staff. As a service person, depending on tips I would think you would be the first to realize this. Yes, your money is yours to spend as you wish, nothing I say will change your mind and that is your peragative...

Yes it pays to keep an eye on your pricing, on our particular sailing there is a 20% union discount, so that took a big bite out of it. Then they have run a few sales since booking and so we called in a got reductions from those. Also got $300 OBC for booking a minisuite, which will help a bit to offset the $672 we will now have to pay in service charges... I do wonder how much of those service charges actually find their way into the pockets of those who take such good care of us on our cruises though?

Yes it pays to keep an eye on your pricing, on our particular sailing there is a 20% union discount, so that took a big bite out of it. Then they have run a few sales since booking and so we called in a got reductions from those. Also got $300 OBC for booking a minisuite, which will help a bit to offset the $672 we will now have to pay in service charges... I do wonder how much of those service charges actually find their way into the pockets of those who take such good care of us on our cruises though?

Yes it pays to keep an eye on your pricing, on our particular sailing there is a 20% union discount, so that took a big bite out of it. Then they have run a few sales since booking and so we called in a got reductions from those. Also got $300 OBC for booking a minisuite, which will help a bit to offset the $672 we will now have to pay in service charges... I do wonder how much of those service charges actually find their way into the pockets of those who take such good care of us on our cruises though?

supposedly, every bit of the charges, but who really knows?

Nita

One thing for sure any cash you give your cabin stewards if the service charge is removed or reduced gets turned into the pool anyway. Anyone who tips above the recomendation should pay the base service charge and give the extra in cash to those few who went the extra mile.

Yes it pays to keep an eye on your pricing, on our particular sailing there is a 20% union discount, so that took a big bite out of it. Then they have run a few sales since booking and so we called in a got reductions from those. Also got $300 OBC for booking a minisuite, which will help a bit to offset the $672 we will now have to pay in service charges... I do wonder how much of those service charges actually find their way into the pockets of those who take such good care of us on our cruises though?

supposedly, every bit of the charges, but who really knows?

Nita

One thing for sure any cash you give your cabin stewards if the service charge is removed or reduced gets turned into the pool anyway. Anyone who tips above the recomendation should pay the base service charge and give the extra in cash to those few who went the extra mile.

shoreguy, I agree 100%. We usually tip our cabin steward extra and often one or two others, plus, of course the wait staff in the sur charge dining rooms.